Government okays Rs 40,000 crore for road projects

New Delhi: In a bid to fast track highway construction, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has approved over Rs 40,000 crore worth of projects and set an ambitious target of building 30 kms of roads per day.

This announcement was made by the Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari.

Gadkari reviewed over 250 road projects worth about Rs 60,000 crore.

He said these projects were mainly stuck due to reasons such as land acquisition and environment and forest clearance issues.

These stalled projects would be up and running in the next three months. The ministry is trying to get faster clearances, said Gadkari, who also holds additional charge of ministries of shipping, rural development, panchayati raj and drinking water and sanitation.

"Right now the total road construction has gone down, it is 3 km per day. Road projects worth about Rs 60,000 crore are stuck mainly due to reasons such as land acquisition and environment and forest clearances," he said.

The Road Ministry also approved projects worth over Rs 40,000 crore to be constructed across the country in the next two-three years.

"We have approved projects worth Rs 20,000 crore for Jammu & Kashmir. They include 2-laning and 4-laning of National Highways in the state some roads projects in Leh and Ladakh," the Minister told reporters here.

He said these projects complete in the coming two-and-a-half years and will boost tourism in the state.